{"id":7363,"date":"2026-05-01T00:41:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beteja.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/spectrum-and-c64-being-turned-into-handhelds-by-the-makers-of-evercade\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T00:41:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:41:39","slug":"spectrum-and-c64-being-turned-into-handhelds-by-the-makers-of-evercade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beteja.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/spectrum-and-c64-being-turned-into-handhelds-by-the-makers-of-evercade\/","title":{"rendered":"Spectrum and C64 being turned into handhelds by the makers of Evercade"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If, like me, your childhood was one of Masters of the Universe and Rainbow Brite rather than a strange computer-generated man poking his head out a toilet, prepare to ready the nostalgia klaxon: Evercade maker Blaze Entertainment – via its Hyper Mega Tech arm – has unveiled handheld editions of two 80s home computer giants, the Spectrum and Commodore 64, that are launching this October.<\/p>\n

Simply called The Spectrum Handheld and The C64 Handheld, both machines feature the same clamshell design – which, at W136mm x H26mm x D86mm, should tuck comforably into your pockets, depending on your pocket size. Open them up and you’ll find a 4.3″ IPS screen, as well as a similar arrangement of controls in each: a d-pad, four face buttons, four “function” buttons, plus buttons for menu, start, and select. They’re not identical, though. Alongside their two distinctive colour schemes – both inspired by the machines they’re based on – there’re minor variations in button design. Pick the Speccy version, for instance, and those function keys are made of rubber.<\/p>\n

Here’s trailer for both new machines.Watch on YouTube<\/p>\n

As you’d hope, both handhelds come with speakers and a headphone jack, plus built-in games – 25 apiece – from their respective systems. A MicroSD cart slot means you can play your own games too. That’s welcome news, given the included selections – despite a few highlights such as Skool Daze, Head Over Heals, and Manic Miner on the Speccy side – aren’t perhaps complete slamdunks. We’ll get to the games properly in a moment, though. The other thing worth noting is the Spectrum variant (but seemingly not the C64) includes a USB I\/O port round the back to support keyboards and joysticks.<\/p>\n

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Both machines are priced at \u00a3109.99 and launch on 15th October, with pre-orders open from today. And as is usual for Blaze, Limited Edition versions are being sold exclusively through retailer FunStock. These cost \u00a3129.99 and include the handheld, a hardshell travel case, and a magazine. For the Spectrum, that’ll be a specially produced version of Crash! magazine, while the C64 includes a version of Zzap! And if you’re not familiar with Hyper Mega Tech’s other handhelds, namely the Super Pockets (which are set to expand with a new Rare-themed edition this June), they’re solidly built things. And with all that out the way, let’s end with a big list of included games:<\/p>\n

THE C64 HANDHELD:<\/h2>\n